In California water news this weekend …
With conservation trending in the right direction, Governor Newsom rallies local water agencies to do more
“Governor Gavin Newsom today convened local water leaders for the second time in recent months to call for their continued action to drive down urban water use and help Californians make permanent changes to adapt to a hotter and drier future. Preliminary numbers that reflect 95 percent of the population show that Californians cut back on water use by 7.5 percent overall in June this year compared to June 2020. The increase in conservation comes a month after Governor Newsom directly called on local water leaders to step up their work to ensure all Californians are doing their part to save water. At the meeting, the Governor again urged leaders of the state’s largest urban water suppliers to continue local efforts to cut back water usage in the face of limited supplies due to extreme heat and dry weather. He also underscored the urgency of reporting monthly water use data as quickly as possible so the state can more effectively monitor progress in real time. … ” Continue reading from the Office of the Governor here: With conservation trending in the right direction, Governor Newsom rallies local water agencies to do more
Biggest environmental issues facing California? Drought, wildfires and climate change, according to new PPIC survey.
“A new statewide survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California finds most residents consider the drought, wildfires and climate change as the biggest environmental issues facing the state. PPIC President Mark Baldessare spoke to CapRadio’s Mike Hagerty. CapRadio: What are Californians most concerned about? Mark Baldessare: Most people said the drought. Thirty-eight percent said the drought was the most important environmental issue, 13% mentioning wildfires and 11% mentioning climate change. CapRadio: But climate change coming in third in that group suggests there might be a disconnect. They understand the connection between drought and climate change, between wildfire and climate change, but they’re not as concerned about climate change. Is it a factor of the drought and fires being more immediate, more tangible? … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Biggest environmental issues facing California? Drought, wildfires and climate change, according to new PPIC survey.
As drought drags on, Newsom draws fire for ‘status quo’ approach
“One of the state’s top water officials has quit mid-drought, with blistering words for the governor on his way out the door. In a resignation note, Max Gomberg blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom for what he deemed insufficiently bold action in the face of drought, aridification and climate change. And he tore into former colleagues at the state water agency for failing to push back. “Witnessing the agency’s ability to tackle big challenges nearly eviscerated by this Administration has been gut-wrenching,” wrote Gomberg, who left his longtime post as the climate and conservation manager of the California State Water Resources Control Board. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: As drought drags on, Newsom draws fire for ‘status quo’ approach
Interactive: How to conserve water at home amid California’s worsening drought
“With California mired in a stubborn drought that has declined water supplies, conservation has never been more important. But despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plea for Californians to voluntarily cut water use by 15%, Californians have not come anywhere close to hitting that target. Consumption has even risen in some places. Saving water, however, doesn’t require a major lifestyle change. Small alterations can bring large reductions. Here are our tips for saving water around the home ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Interactive: How to conserve water at home amid California’s worsening drought
House approves bill to help West fight wildfires, drought
“The House on Friday approved wide-ranging legislation aimed at helping communities in the West cope with increasingly severe wildfires and drought — fueled by climate change — that have caused billions of dollars of damage to homes and businesses in recent years. The measure combines 49 separate bills and would increase firefighter pay and benefits; boost resiliency and mitigation projects for communities affected by climate change; protect watersheds; and make it easier for wildfire victims to get federal assistance. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: House approves bill to help West fight wildfires, drought
SEE ALSO:
- Feinstein Applauds Passage of House Wildfire, Drought Bill
- Congressman Kevin McCarthy: Democrat drought and wildfire bill falls short
- Congressman LaMalfa Demands Meaningful Solutions to Wildfires and Drought in the West
- Congressman Valadao: “Stop Playing Politics with Water”
Padilla secures over $100 million for water resiliency, ocean research, ecological restoration, and energy infrastructure projects in senate appropriations bills
“Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured nearly $100 million in federal funding for 28 California water and energy infrastructure projects, ocean research, and ecological restoration programs across several Senate appropriations bills. The bill was released by the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday and will now be reconciled with its House counterpart before final passage. “As California grapples with the impacts of the climate crisis and an escalating megadrought, it is critical that we invest in water resiliency efforts, modernize our energy grid, and restore marine ecosystems,” said Senator Padilla. “I’m proud to champion projects that will improve the stability and reliability of safe drinking water for communities across the state. The health of California’s economy, environment, and people requires meaningful investments in our water infrastructure.” … ” Read more from Senator Padilla’s office here: Padilla secures over $100 million for water resiliency, ocean research, ecological restoration, and energy infrastructure projects in senate appropriations bills
How compost is helping farmers save water, survive drought
“As California grapples with another long drought, cities across the state have implemented curbside collection programs to increase the amount of available water. Composting turns food scraps, sticks and leaves into organic material that is then added to soil to make it more fertile. Robert Reed, spokesperson for Recology, a waste management company, explains compost acts as a natural sponge. “When we apply compost to a farm, the soil really becomes a water reservoir and farms then don’t have to irrigate as much, they don’t have to water as much because we have rain water that’s deep in the soil,” Reed said. … ” Read more from Spectrum 1 here: How compost is helping farmers save water, survive drought
Two California fires in the Sierra Nevada have very different outcomes. Why?
“The two fires started just 17 miles apart in the rugged terrain of California’s western Sierra Nevada — but their outcomes couldn’t have been more different. The Washburn fire, which ignited July 7 along a forested trail in Yosemite National Park, was nearly contained, with no damage to structures or to the famed Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. But the Oak fire, which sparked almost two weeks later in the foothills near Midpines, confounded firefighters as it exploded to four times the size of Washburn and forced thousands to flee as it destroyed at least 106 homes. At times, the wildfire’s smoke plume could be seen from space. Why was one fire so much more destructive? … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Two California fires in the Sierra Nevada have very different outcomes. Why? | Read via Yahoo News
In commentary this weekend …
Editorial: Delta tunnel plan raises more questions than it answers
The San Jose Mercury News editorial board writes, “Gavin Newsom’s vision for solving California’s vexing water challenges still raises more questions than it answers. It’s hard to determine from the release Wednesday of a 3,000-page environmental review of the governor’s plan whether a tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta makes sense scientifically, politically or financially. Addressing those questions in a timely fashion must be among the governor’s and state water department’s highest priorities. This dithering must not continue. Climate change is exacerbating California’s long-standing water shortages. With every passing day, the state’s ability to ensure a reliable source of clean drinking water for urban dwellers and farmers diminishes. For 40 years, since voters rejected Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan for a peripheral canal in1982, California leaders have failed to come up with an environmentally sound alternative. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Editorial: Delta tunnel plan raises more questions than it answers
California should build infrastructure, not shame water users
Steven Greenhut, Western region director for the R Street Institute, writes, ” … The state always has been plagued by alternating droughts and floods. “California summers were characterized by the coughing in the pipes that meant the well was dry, and California winters by all-night watches on rivers about to crest,” wrote Joan Didion in her 1977 essay, “Holy Water.” Living near California’s last undammed river, I’ve spent long nights watching the Cosumnes overcome the aging levees. Counterintuitive as it sounds, policy makers spend too much time worrying about how much water Californians use to run their households – and too little time figuring out how to bring more water into our system. The state hasn’t built significant water infrastructure since Didion penned that essay – when the state had 17.6-million fewer residents. … ” Read the full commentary at the OC Register here: California should build infrastructure, not shame water users | Read via the Daily Breeze
Our Lives Depend On Water: Assembly candidate calls for 30 more desalination plants as water solution for entire state
Mindy Pechenuk, the Republican candidate for Assembly District 18, writes, “On May 12, 2022, the California Coastal Commission, including Governor Newsom’s appointees, unanimously voted down the plan for construction of a desalination plant at Huntington Beach that would convert Pacific Ocean water into 50 million gallons of freshwater per day, enough water for 400,000 Californians. The people of the state of California come first. Our lives depend on water. We must set aside our differences and unite together, irrespective of party. We can and must create the momentum to stop the environmentalist lunatics that are putting the citizens of California and the nation’s food supply at risk. We can no longer tolerate policies which make the citizens of this state “an endangered species.” Gavin Newsom must immediately fire the four Coastal Commissioners who blocked the new facility which he claimed he supports. … ” Read more from the California Globe here: Our Lives Depend On Water: Assembly candidate calls for 30 more desalination plants as water solution for entire state
It’s time for Army Corps of Engineers to investigate the feasibility of moving water West
Don Siefkes of San Leandro writes, “Numerous letters (including mine of June 30) have commented recently on the possibility of moving water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River at Lake Powell (Glen Canyon dam on the Utah/Colorado border) and then downstream to Lake Mead (Hoover Dam/Las Vegas) and on through Arizona and beyond. Some of these letters are supportive and some not. The whole point of suggesting this solution to the Southwest’s water problem is to generate a public demand to the Army Corps of Engineers to investigate the feasibility of such a project. I suggested diverting 250,000 gallons/second, which is only about 5% of the flow on the lower Mississippi south of the Old River Control Structure (ORCS) in Central Louisiana 300 miles above New Orleans. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: It’s time for Army Corps of Engineers to investigate the feasibility of moving water West | Read via Yahoo News
Wildfire season is here. California needs to fight back smarter
Dave Winnacker, fire chief of the Moraga-Orinda Fire District, and Donnie Hasseltine, CSO of Xenon Partners, write, “With the Oak Fire now blazing across over 19,000 acres of Northern California, it is clear: Fire season is here — and with it, comes the very real potential for life and property loss. Although technological advances are improving firefighting capabilities, most innovations focus on identifying and responding to fires after they start. But given wildfires will only get worse in the hotter, drier future, solely being reactive to them isn’t a winning strategy. California needs to fight fire smarter. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Wildfire season is here. California needs to fight back smarter
Podcasts …
WATER LOOP PODCAST: Voices for the voiceless
Many of the one million people in California who lack access to safe and reliable drinking water are Latino agricultural workers living in small communities throughout the state’s Central Valley. Despite agriculture’s reliance on them as a workforce, the industry uses vast quantities of water and often pollutes resources. Change is difficult because these people are on the absolute bottom of the political pyramid and lack a voice in government, as discussed in this episode with Janaki Anagha, Director of Community Advocacy at the Community Water Center. Janaki talks about the need to focus on changing representation in local water boards and how her organization is helping to identify, train, and support people as candidates for political office.
JIVE TALKING PODCAST: Amanda Fencl and Kristin Dobbin on how governance structure affects access to clean water
We discussed Amanda and Kristin’s paper, “Institutional Diversity and Safe Drinking Water Provision in the US,” available (open access) at www.sciencedirect.com/science/articl…57178721001405 Amanda Fencl is currently a AAAS Science-technology-and-policy–executive-branch fellow based in Washington DC. She has a PhD in geography from UC Davis where her work focused on climate and drought adaptation by drinking water systems in California. Her website is phdrought.wordpress.com Kristin Dobbin is an NSF Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences postdoctoral fellow in the Luskin Center for Innovation at UCLA. Her research focuses on the intersection between water governance and environmental justice. Currently she is working on several projects advancing the implementation of California’s law on a Human Right to Water (AB 685). Kristin holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis. Her websites are innovation.luskin.ucla.edu/team/kristin-dobbin/
and www.kristindobbin.com
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: The Great Dust Bowl
Life is so busy that the importance of water in our lives can be hidden. Unfortunately, it is when water becomes scarce that we recognize how important water really is. A close friend of mine, Marcella Hart knows. She was five years old during the dust bowl when her family had to leave Oklahoma. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Podcast produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, Operation Unite®; water@operationunite.co; 530-205-6388
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Two new decisions on the Potter Valley diversion from the Eel River
“This week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued two decisions that water interests in the Eel and Russian River watersheds have been waiting on for months. On Wednesday, the Commission approved a drastic reduction in the flow of water through the Potter Valley hydropower project into the East Branch of the Russian River. … The Commission also delivered an ambiguous opinion refuting the claims of environmental groups that the Commission has the authority to amend the Potter Valley Project’s new annual license to include more protection measures for wildlife. ... ” Read more from the Redheaded Blackbelt here: Two new decisions on the Potter Valley diversion from the Eel River
Clearlake water companies provide insight into drought’s impacts on operations
“With Lake County and the rest of California in the midst of a worsening drought, representatives of two water companies operating in the city of Clearlake have offered some insight into their operations and how they are continuing to ensure there is adequate water supply for their customers. The Clearlake city administration invited the three companies that serve the city — Golden State Water Co., Konocti County Water District and Highlands Mutual Water Co. — to speak about the situation at the Clearlake City Council’s July 7 meeting. Golden State and Konocti County Water each sent a representative to give the council an update. … ” Read more from Lake County News here: Clearlake water companies provide insight into drought’s impacts on operations
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
New ‘State of the Lake’ report highlights major changes happening in the waters of Lake Tahoe
“For over 50 years, researchers with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) have been carefully observing the waters of Lake Tahoe. This week, the annual “State of the Lake” report was released. According to UC Davis TERC director Geoffrey Schladow, 2021 data shows some major changes that hadn’t been observed to this point. One of the most notable is a drop in the Mysis shrimp population. This non-native plankton species was introduced into the lake in the 1960s. “It’s literally disappeared,” Schladow said. “It will come back. But its life history in Lake Tahoe would mean that it may take it three or four years to come back, during which time the lake is going to make a number of very large adjustments.” … ” Read more from KCRA here: New ‘State of the Lake’ report highlights major changes happening in the waters of Lake Tahoe
Report: Algae hit all-time high at Lake Tahoe
“Floating algae tripled at Lake Tahoe last year hitting an all-time high, according to researchers, in part due to wildfire smoke and in part because the microscopic critters that eat the algae have seen a decrease. The rate of algal growth, or “primary productivity,” has increased sixfold over the past 50 years. For the first time on record, the lake’s dominant alga was the cyanobacteria leptolyngbya, a species favored by the high nitrogen present in wildfire smoke. The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center released its annual “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report” on Thursday. … ” Read more from the Nevada Appeal here: Report: Algae hit all-time high at Lake Tahoe
Developers destroyed this forgotten wetland in Tahoe. Can scientists save what’s left?
“A nearly 600-acre wetland sits at the southernmost end of Lake Tahoe. It’s where Tahoe’s two largest tributaries — the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek — meet and mingle amid tall grasses and willows before flowing into the lake. This wetland might not look like much, but it’s critical to the health of Lake Tahoe’s environment. … in December 1956, the Tahoe Keys developers purchased the land. They excavated the wetland, dredged the marshes to build a marina and constructed more than 1,500 homes. The Tahoe Keys have been called one of Tahoe’s worst environmental disasters because the development destroyed the largest wetland in the Tahoe Basin. Today, a large-scale effort is underway to restore what’s left of the Upper Truckee River Marsh. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: Developers destroyed this forgotten wetland in Tahoe. Can scientists save what’s left?
Stakeholders weigh in on Cascade to Meeks Trail
“Following several informational workshops this summer, members of the community were given the opportunity to weigh in on the proposed Cascade to Meeks Trail. The Cascade to Meeks Trail was highlighted as a top priority in the 2020 State Route 89 Corridor Management Plan and would create a walking and biking trail from the area of Cascade Lake to Meeks Bay, through Emerald Bay. The trail is being explored through a partnership between the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and California State Department of Parks & Recreation, Caltrans, El Dorado County, The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and others including homeowners in the project area. ... ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Stakeholders weigh in on Cascade to Meeks Trail
Visit new Underwater Lake Tahoe Lounge and video exhibits at the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center
“Muralist Susie Alexander recently completed an artistic rendering of Lake Tahoe’s underwater habitat in the lounge area of the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center. The exhibit shows shallow habitat, deep water habitat, and living aquatic organisms that you might find in those underwater environments. “This has been such an inspiring three-plus weeks of painting at the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center. I am so inspired to continue painting water. It has become an important topic in the West,” says Alexander. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now here: Visit new Underwater Lake Tahoe Lounge and video exhibits at the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center
New Melones Reservoir dips to lowest level in 5 years, federal officials cite ‘unprecedented drought’
“New Melones Reservoir, the Golden State’s fourth-largest capacity reservoir, was 70% empty Wednesday — its lowest level in five years — due to the drought described by officials at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as “unprecedented.” Federal authorities closed the lower boat ramp at Tuttletown Recreation Area in Tuolumne County earlier this month because of the lowering water levels. A boat ramp at Glory Hole Recreation Area in Calaveras County remained open Wednesday. All of Calaveras and Tuolumne counties are in severe, extreme, or exceptional drought this week, according to scientists with the U.S. Drought Monitor, and there is no doubt some aspects of the current fire season, the ongoing drought, and effects of climate change are without precedent. ... ” Read more from the Union Democrat here: New Melones Reservoir dips to lowest level in 5 years, federal officials cite ‘unprecedented drought’
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Sacramento regional wastewater treatment plant offering free recycled water
“A local facility is giving away free water. And there’s no catch. “It works for me because every other day I leave here with 55 gallons,” says Mark Massello, a Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (RegionalSan) employee who uses the free refill stations onsite. “I go around the whole backyard and we have a garden and I water the garden. I water the plants.” You can’t drink this water though. It’s recycled from RegionalSan’s wastewater treatment plant and used mostly for landscape irrigation. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: Sacramento regional wastewater treatment plant offering free recycled water
Commentary: Help is needed for our waterways
Sacramento Picks It Up! writes, “Over the past 16 months, volunteers from Sacramento Picks It Up! have removed over 700,000 pounds of trash and solid waste from the Sacramento region, a huge percentage of which was located right here in Natomas. These volunteer cleanup events have included a dozen cleanups of abandoned encampments which spilled into Steelhead Creek adjacent to Garden Highway, countless cleanups in and around urban parks and canals, in and around Camp Pollock on the banks of the American River and many others along the Sacramento River. … This weekend, Sacramento Picks It Up! is expanding its geographical imprint by sponsoring a two-day trash cleanup in the Arcade Creek channel … But Sacramento Picks It Up! does not just want to clean this small section of creek, the grassroots group also hopes to raise public awareness about the outrageously poor conditions in our area waterways and is advocating for much-needed action from our governing entities. … ” Continue reading at the Natomas Buzz here: Commentary: Help is needed for our waterways
NAPA/SONOMA
Sonoma County: Groundwater sustainability fees approved in three local basins
“Groundwater Sustainability Fees were recently unanimously approved by the boards of the Petaluma Valley, Santa Rosa Plain and Sonoma Valley groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs). The annual fees will pay for programs, projects and policy actions to ensure that groundwater in the three basins is available into the future. A contribution from Sonoma County will allow non-municipal groundwater users to pay a fee that will be the same in all three basins: $40 per acre foot of groundwater pumped annually (an acre foot equals approximately 326,000 gallons). … ” Read more from Sonoma County here: Sonoma County: Groundwater sustainability fees approved in three local basins
BAY AREA
What’s with the bizarre rainfall in July? The weather forecast promises more
“The Bay Area’s unusual drizzly weather is expected to continue through the weekend and could escalate into isolated thunderstorms late Sunday into Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The thunderstorms are expected to mostly affect the southern portions of the Bay Area and the central coast, according to Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the weather agency. Locally heavy rain is possible. While the overall risk is minor, the main concern with the thunderstorms is the potential for lightning, Gass said, which could spark wildfires. The moisture in the air should tamp down that risk, but there’s no guarantee of enough rain to completely quell fire concerns, he noted. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: What’s with the bizarre rainfall in July? The weather forecast promises more
Marin offers new incentives for Bolinas wastewater project
“Marin County is adding incentives for people to participate in a Bolinas wastewater pilot program that could help pave the way for more housing. County supervisors voted this week to waive permit and road impact fees totaling up to $320,000 for program participants. The lost revenue will come out of the county’s general fund. The county launched the pilot program last year by waiving some regulatory requirements to encourage upgrades to unpermitted septic systems. The action this week is the county’s latest effort to make the project a success. “None of the people who have so far signed up for this program, have a legal, recorded septic system,” Arianne Dar, executive director of the Bolinas Community Land Trust, told supervisors on Tuesday. The trust is partnering with the county on the program. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin offers new incentives for Bolinas wastewater project
Murky, muddy mystery in Oakland Estuary water
“People who live on the Oakland Estuary say for days the water has been unusually murky and muddy, and they’re not sure why. Embarcadero Cove Marina is the spot where neighbors describe seeing the rust-colored water for days, despite the tides coming in and going out. “It looked like clouds of mud rolling through the water,” said Michael West. “Very brown and very muddy…not brown like after the rain, brown like something had been mixed into it.”For a decade, West has legally lived aboard his boat at the marina. He said after a couple of days of the suspicious water, his neighbors started wondering what was in the water, too. … ” Read more from KTVU here: Murky, muddy mystery in Oakland Estuary water
South Bay gravel mine proposal would trammel on sacred tribal land, report says
“A controversial proposal to lop off the tops of four hills near Gilroy and turn them into a sand and gravel mine would cause significant, substantial and unavoidable impacts to sacred tribal lands, cultural resources and wildlife habitats, according to a county study of the proposed development’s impacts on the environment. The owners of Sargent Ranch, a largely undeveloped 5,300-acre area in the hills south of Gilroy west of Highway 101, want to turn 403 acres into an open pit mine and processing facility for sand and gravel construction materials. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: South Bay gravel mine proposal would trammel on sacred tribal land, report says
SEE ALSO: Highly anticipated report about mine proposed near Gilroy released, from the Monterey Herald
CENTRAL COAST
State regulators deny request for more water for Monterey Peninsula housing
“An effort launched more than a year ago to have state water regulators relax their order to halt illegal pumping from the Carmel River basin to allow for housing in Monterey was shot down Thursday by the head of the regulating agency. In a three-page letter to David Stoldt, the general manager of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, from Eileen Sobeck, the executive director of the State Water Resources Control Board, the regulator dismissed a March 2021 request by Stoldt to allow additional water hookups for a huge housing project on Garden Road in Monterey. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: State regulators deny request for more water for Monterey Peninsula housing
Guest Commentary: South County clean drinking water remains elusive
Luis A. Alejo, a Monterey County Supervisor for Salinas, and a Monterey County Supervisor for South Monterey County and represents San Lucas, writes, “This month marks 11 years since the first public health order was issued for residents of San Lucas in South Monterey County to stop drinking their tap water due to excessive levels of nitrate contamination. How a community in the innovation capital of the world could have poisonous water, they had to stop drinking is hard to fathom. What’s worse is that over a decade later, safe and clean drinking water in this small, rural community of Latino farmworkers remains out of reach. Despite a state water bond, dozens of legislative bills on safe drinking water, countless meetings, and hundreds of millions of dollars allocated in state budgets, the two agencies responsible for addressing this problem, the State Water Resources Control Board and the Central Coast Water Quality Control Board, have failed to ensure this severely disadvantaged community has access to clean water. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Guest Commentary: South County clean drinking water remains elusive
Bradbury Dam to make downstream water releases
“The Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District reports that water will soon be released into the Santa Ynez River from Lake Cachuma’s Bradbury Dam. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will release water from Bradbury Dam starting about 8 a.m. Aug. 8. The release is being scheduled to provide water to recharge the groundwater basins along the Santa Ynez River downstream of the dam. The groundwater basins provide an essential source of water for the cities, towns and farming interests along the Santa Ynez River and on the Lompoc Plain. … ” Read more from Noozhawk here: Bradbury Dam to make downstream water releases
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Porterville Council to consider two major water projects
“The Porterville City Council should make quick work of approving more than $2 million for two major projects to meet the water needs of Porterville — and East Porterville. The council will consider the projects as part of its consent calendar at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. With council approval as part of its consent calendar work is finally set to begin on the infamous Akin Well that has been several years in the making. An agreement with the State Water Resource Control Board ended up establishing that three wells would be constructed in the city of Porterville as part of the effort to use the City of Porterville’s water system to help meet the water needs of East Porterville. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Porterville Council to consider two major water projects
EASTERN SIERRA
Ridgecrest: Groundwater Authority enters agreement to plan water import pipeline
“The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority board unanimously approved entering into an agreement with Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group for preparation of an imported water pipeline alignment study at their short special board meeting on the morning of July 22. For the project, Provost & Pritchard proposed a budget of $449,100. At the special board meeting, IWVGA acting general manager Carol Thomas-Keefer said that the budget can be paid with the help of a $7.6 million grant which IWVGA recently secured. All work funded by the grant must be completed by April 30, 2025. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest: Groundwater Authority enters agreement to plan water import pipeline
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Column: Beneath parched L.A. is a sea of water. It bubbles up in places, but can it quench our thirst?
Columnist Steve Lopez writes, “As the California drought endures, and water conservation becomes critical to our survival, is one of the answers under our feet? I began giving the possibility more thought after corresponding with John Eric Juricek, a West Hollywood resident who saw an L.A. Times story about conservation and wondered about the water seeping into the garage of his apartment building. “We have sump pumps running day and night to keep the water out of our elevator shaft and we have persistent groundwater leaks coming up through the floor of our parking garage,” said Juricek. “I believe it’s all going down the drains and into the ocean.” ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Column: Beneath parched L.A. is a sea of water. It bubbles up in places, but can it quench our thirst? | Read via Yahoo News
Inland Empire golf courses make changes to conserve water during drought
“Golf courses use a lot of water and during a drought that can be cause for concern, but when that water is recycled, the emphasis is water conservation. The latest in the Inland Empire to make a change to using recycled water is The Lakes at Hemet West’s nine-hole golf course. The Lakes retirement community recently made the change to using recycled water to irrigate the course and drought-tolerant landscaping in some areas. Glenn Miller, golf course consultant for The Lakes, said the sustainable change will preserve the 50-year-old lakes and “allow us to continue to live in a comfortable environment.” … ” Read more from the San Bernardino Sun here: Inland Empire golf courses make changes to conserve water during drought
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
House passes wildfire and drought package that includes $250 million for Salton Sea
“After 30 years of primarily focusing on research, the Bureau of Reclamation could soon expand its efforts on public health and environmental restoration projects at the Salton Sea with the House’s passage of the Salton Sea Projects Improvements Act on Friday. The Act authorizes $250 million for the Bureau of Reclamation to carry out projects at the Salton Sea, a nearly twenty-fold increase from its current authorization of $13 million. The Salton Sea Projects Improvement Act, introduced by Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, passed the House on Friday as part of the broader Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, a package of 49 bills aimed at improving fire-adapted ecosystems, protecting communities against wildfires, and enhancing drought resiliency. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: House passes wildfire and drought package that includes $250 million for Salton Sea
Along the Colorado River …
Drought driving tough talks on water cuts
“Nevada and two of its neighboring southwestern states are still working on ways to drastically cut water use from the Colorado River as a deadline set by the federal government to address the worsening conditions along the river quickly approaches. John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said his organization is still at the table with the other so-called lower basin states of California and Arizona as they work to respond to a call from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to propose unprecedented cuts in water use along the river in order to protect critical power and water delivery infrastructure at lakes Mead and Powell. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton gave the states until mid-August to submit plans to reduce usage in 2023 by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet of water, the high end being equal to about one-third of the Colorado’s recent annual flow. Touton warned in a Senate hearing in June that if the states do not come up with plans, the agency has the authority to “act unilaterally to protect the system, and we will protect the system.” … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal here: Drought driving tough talks on water cuts
Editorial: Saving the Colorado River requires cooperation from all parties in West
The Las Vegas Sun editorial board writes, “These days, when we talk about water, we aren’t talking about “drought” — we’re talking about a new and enduring climate scenario. Despite fluke flooding like the Las Vegas Valley experienced Thursday night, we must act accordingly. In the 100 years since the Colorado River Compact was negotiated, the amount of water in the river has declined and the amount of people living in the West has exploded. There is simply not enough water in the West to sustain the level of water consumption we currently demand. And there likely won’t be. Ever. ... ” Read more fromt he Las Vegas Sun here: Editorial: Saving the Colorado River requires cooperation from all parties in West
House passes bill with help for Lake Mead
“Sweeping legislation to provide $500 million to raise plunging water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell passed Friday in the House despite Republican opposition over concerns for farmers and ranchers. The Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act combines more than 48 individual pieces of legislation, including those sponsored by Nevada lawmakers, to address severe climate issues. “This can’t be overstated — Nevada is facing the worst drought in 12 centuries, and it’s an existential threat to our communities and our future,” said U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal here: House passes bill with help for Lake Mead
How Southern Nevada’s recent storms have affected Lake Mead
“Thursday’s downpour, which ranged anywhere from three-tenths of an inch at Harry Reid International Airport to more than 1 inch on the Las Vegas Strip, is certainly welcome. But what about the bigger picture: Do monsoons have an impact on Lake Mead, our principal source of water? Time for an expert. … ” Read more from Channel 3 here: How Southern Nevada’s recent storms have affected Lake Mead
Biden administration to close border wall gaps in Arizona
“The Biden administration said Thursday it had authorized US Customs and Border Protection to close gaps in a border wall in Arizona near the Morelos Dam in order to protect migrants from drowning and sustaining injuries while trying to cross the Colorado River into the United States. The Yuma Morelos Dam Project will close four gaps located within an “incomplete border barrier project” near the dam, the Department of Homeland Security said in a news release. In addition to posing “safety and life hazard risks for migrants,” the department said the gaps in the wall presented “life and safety” risks to first responders in the area. … ” Read more from CNN here: Biden administration to close border wall gaps in Arizona
It doesn’t make sense to fight over impossible water pipes
Jennifer Sensiba writes, “My grandfather told me an interesting story once. When he was a kid, he realized that the desert was, in fact, quite dry in the Southwest. He remembers asking his dad (who I was fortunate enough to actually know a little as a kid) how all the new people moving in were going to get their water. … How everyone will get that water is a problem generations of politicians, engineers, and voters have been grappling with for the better part of a century. Sadly, though, most of the big thinking happened when the Colorado River had record flows, leading to everyone getting a cut of a big pie that ended up shrinking in recent decades. But taking water from the mighty Colorado did solve a lot of problems for people in Utah, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona. … ” Read more from Clean Technica here: It doesn’t make sense to fight over impossible water pipes
Colorado is the newest place to find microplastics. In the snowpack.
“As the focus on the electron microscope resolved, Richard Reynolds found himself feeling more resigned than surprised. The slide before him was a snowpack sample collected from pristine Colorado high country. The sample revealed, at intense magnification, the snowpack’s expected sprinkling of rock fragments and spikey grains of sand. It also revealed what shouldn’t have been there at all: long, straight, human-made fibers of plastic. The sight confirmed what Reynolds, a retired U.S. Geological Survey researcher, and his colleagues had suspected after seeing snowpack studies from far away places: An invisible layer of microplastic blankets the Rocky Mountains, polluting our snowpack and our water in yet undefined ways. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun here: Colorado is the newest place to find microplastics. In the snowpack.
In national water news this weekend …
EPA preps cyber rule for water sector
“EPA is poised to announce a new rule that would require states to oversee more than 1,000 water utilities’ cybersecurity plans, according to a top White House official. Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said at an event hosted by the Center for a New American Security yesterday that EPA will be issuing a rule “shortly” to expand the regular reviews to include cybersecurity as threats at facilities mount across the country. The water sector has seen a surge of cybersecurity attacks in recent months and years, including a high-profile event in Oldsmar, Fla., last year when a hacker gained control of a water utility’s operating systems (Energywire, Feb. 10, 2021). That event and others have revealed vulnerabilities as threats continue to grow for a sprawling sector that oversees itself. … ” Read more from E&E News here: EPA preps cyber rule for water sector
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT: Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Groundwater Protection Targets
